Tuesday, January 31, 2012

Arieanna’s life right now seemed nearly complete. Her career was soaring, she had a family who adored her, and her students loved her. Life was simple and uncomplicated. That is until she met Auron. Arieanna doesn’t know that Auron has been sent by a secret priesthood of Saint Cisadore, and is actually there to protect her, the descendant of Ast’ at all cost. His number one objective is to keep that book from entering the hands of the wrong people, in spite of the fact that it might cause his own death. Although exiled nearly two centuries ago, Auron knows that if that book gets to Jimmy Mann, all hell will break lose. Centuries of war will then spill onto a human battle ground, and the Council will do whatever it takes to keep that from happening. The legend says that Arieanna holds the key to the location of Ast’s infamous book of magick; the only problem is, is that she doesn’t know it.

Arieanna is a 7th grade history teacher. Being adopted at an early age Arieanna appreciates the value of family, even if she has no clue what her birth family is really like. Jenny and Harold are the only parents that she knows; and she’s just fine with that. Arie’s life right now seemed nearly complete. Her career was soaring, she had a family who adored her, and her students loved her. Life was simple and uncomplicated. That is until she met him. Unknown to Arieanna is the fact that Auron has been sent by a secret priesthood of St. Cisadore, and is actually there to protect her, the descendant of Ast’ at all cost.Arieanna has no clue that a legend was foretold of a young woman being able to wield and use Ast`s infamous book of magick, and she certainly had no inkling that it would be her.

Auron’s number one objective is to keep that book from entering the hands of the wrong people, in spite of the fact that it might cause his own death. Auron knows that if that book gets to Jimmy Mann all hell will break lose. Centuries of war will then spill onto a human battle ground, and the Council will do whatever it takes to keep that from happening. The Council has a job to do and they don’t care about casualties, even if it means wiping out every last one of them; the Descendant, Lycans, Warlocks, Witches, Shape-shifters and Vampires alike!

The legend says that Arieanna alone holds the key to the location of Ast’s infamous book of magick; the only problem is, is that she doesn’t know it yet! This is to her disadvantage, because those who do know will kill her if they have to, to get their hands on the book and the power that Arianna holds dormant. However, Arianna is sidetracked, because she meets the love of her life in Auron a 475 year old werewolf who was banished from his Företag nearly 200 years earlier. Arianna will invoke great power and only Auron can help her control it, in order to keep her from wiping out both paranormal, and humans alike. Chalk full ofScottish Lycans, British Vampires, Welsh Warlocks, American Witches, and the legends of Ast’, Sekhmet, Mulkie, and Ast’s/Isis` supposed book of magick; Arie and Auron will find a love that will be tested by not just the supernatural, but the regular everyday relationship hang-ups!

I read a couple of authors, and thought man oh man could I do this; and I did lol. Plus, I have been a vampire and werewolf freak since my teen years. I loved Forever Night (telling my age here lol) Interview with the Vampire, and Buffy. But what I loved most about each of these works was the Love that is either unrequited, implied, or put off all together because of circumstances. It all leads back to that Romantic Period’s “angst”. I wanted to be a part of that, because I am in love with the idea of love, and a romantic at heart.

Has someone been instrumental in inspiring you as a writer?

Yes Multi-racial young women.

I love the Paranormal, but I didn’t see myself reflected in the works that I read; and if I did it was a side character, a supporting character, or a villain; so I thought I’d write my own. Being multi-racial myself (Puerto Rican, Cuban, Native American, Irish and African-American) I wanted to see a character like me, and the fact that this is rare spurred me on. Authors like me tend to get pigeon holed into one specific genre like Minorityliterature, Latina, African-American, or Ethnic, who hardly ever move out of that; and I think that this is completely unfair. I hoped by writing what I believe the genre should encompass, people would see the book for the story and negate the race of the character; that being, anyone could place themselves in the shoes of the character, not just someone of a minority background.

I'm sure I'm prejudiced by plenty of things though lol. I discover brainwaves in songs, movies, the world at large, or just simple phrases sometimes. I love to write at Starbucks, because the bustling people always inspire me. The nasty woman impatiently yelling at the Starbuck`s employee, because she gave her a mocha coffee instead of a mocha latté becomes a villain, the Hugh Jackman look alike becomes the next wolf, the sexy emo guy ordering the Eggnog latte` becomes the next Master of the city for my vamps, the hot blonde ordering the Tazo berry tea becomes the next warlock; and the tiny brunette might actually become the next main female character. I love to write at night, especially since I write paranormal. Rainy nights are good for scenes of action, but full moon nights always seem to give me the most creativity.People in general instigate me to create something new. I base both my Paranormal and Fae series on mythology, so I am constantly inspired by a new myth, new legends, or new facts about lost artifacts; and I incorporate them into my books.

If you were to write a series of novels, what would it be about?

Lol, actually I have. Teaching Between Midnight and Dawn is just the first in a series that I am doing. I have written 11 so far, but then wanted to go with a different concept for book 11. I came up with a new book 11, and made the previous book 11 book 12 lol. Each book in the series gets darker, more sensual, and features a new myth, whether it be Spartacus and the Roman Games, Ancient Blackfoot Legends, theJapanese Sun Goddess, Gargoyles, Secret Church societies/ Tantric and Demons,Three day Love Fest (PG version of the word lol) to the God Bacchus, and the Goddess Demeter; or the Keltic God Dagda. However , they all center around the myths of Ast` (Isis), Osiris and Sekhmet.

I also have a Fae series, and they too are centered around the myths, only this time Keltic, Finnish and Scandinavian.

What songs are most played on your Ipod?

Well that depends.

If I’m writing a fight scene, then something like Disturbed, 30seconds to Mars, Crossfade, Trapt, Evanescence, or NickleBack. I used to listen to Paramore too, but well then there’s that lil T.W thing, and since I am not a particular fan of it ( Fan of Steph and her popularity lol, hook me up Steph!!), but I don’t anymore.

But whooh hoo… if I’m doing a very sensual scene, then I have to go back to my Afro-Latin roots; and it has to be R&B, what we call baby makin music lol; Jon.b, Trey Songz, Prince,Tyrese to name just a few.

At what point in your life did you realize you wanted to be a writer?

Oh man, it feels like forever. I wrote my first play at 15 or 16 lol, and it was coined after Shakespeare. Needless to say it was a true tragedy lol, but I loved it just the same because I wrote it. I’ve always loved to read and make up stories as a child, and if ever my mother was searching for me; all she needed to do was look under my bed or in the closet; and there I was either writing or with my nose stuck in a book. It only seemed natural that writing would come next. Yet, we grow up and have to make sacrifices and choices that we sometimes don’t want, and the things that we really love get tossed to the backburner. I have had a very lucrative career as a Ex. Sou Chef (16 years), but decided that I didn’t want to do that for the rest of my life; and became a teacher (4 years now). It is because of the career change that I am finally able to do what I love. J

What's the strangest way you've sold a book/story (either to a reader or to a publisher/agent)?

I was in a sports bar full of men watching football! That was classic cuz I am soo not a fan. Anyway, here we are tossing back shots of Patron, and drinking Corona’s when this macho looking guy sitting next to me turns and drunkenly asks me if I like Twilight. I reply in a negative, and then start laughing because he slurs that he, “Sooo loves it!” We struck up a conversation with like 4 other drunken guys, and my bf said that I was a writer as well. They wanted the information to buy the book, and I figured that they were way too ****faced to remember me, but all 4 sent me a facebook message saying that they bought it lol. That was insane!

Tell us about your next release.

Hopefully it will be Teach Me the Night lol. That is the second book in the Teaching Between Midnight and Dawn series.

Blurb for Teach Me the Night

Jobey was one of the best new celebrity Chef's L.A. had seen in a long while. Her career was soaring, she had the Laguna Beach hottie at her side; and her new restaurant was the hippest L.A. Night spot in town. It was all that she had ever dreamed about, and it was coming true.

She thought that her life was finally coming into place; everything that she had worked so hard for was finally hers!

That is until one of L.A.'s finest got food poisoning from her restaurant, she was sued in civil court, and her one and only restaurant closed in one year. Not to mention, the beach hottie seemed to instantly disappear; and Jobey just knew that he had something to do with her restaurant closing.

With her career in the toilet, Jobey knew that it was time for a change, and a sigh of hope. She figured that her life couldn't get any more chaotic. At least that's what she thought until she met him at Taboo.

Saix had been Sephoroth’s Secundă for the last 451 years, and everyday he cared less and less what he thought. They're last fight had been truly vicious, but what had surprised Saix, was the fact that he didn't care one way or the other if Sephoroth actually ended his life. Since Lexera's death, nothing in life, or his undead existence meant anything to him anymore.

That was until he spotted her in the Walgreens with her four friends.

Saix watched as she walked into the Walgreens, and realized that she was oblivious to nearly everything and everyone around her. She was beautiful though, he thought watching her with a slight smile. It wasn’t beauty like the four other women, but something so quiet that it silently called out to him, drawing her to him. He knew in an instant, that he'd found the one thing worth living for.

He would surely see her...again.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

It's been my dream to be a writer since I was a teenager, and although I'm older now and have had several different careers, it is still my #1 dream. I grew up with a Cuban father, and my mother is Native American, Puerto Rican, Irish and African-American; so culture was a huge concept in my house. I grew up listening to people like Celia Cruz, Harry Belafante` and Tito Fuentes, just to name a few, with a mixture of Coltrane and Miles Davis, because this was my parents.

But at the same time my abuelito, my pappi` taught me to Salsa on his feet, and swing to big band. My family was and still is very eclectic. I speak both Spanish and English, and I embrace each of my backgrounds fully, which makes it kind of hard finding just the right niche sometimes.

However, I tend to believe that love is color blind, and am in love with the idea of being in love. It is my express wish to show this, and hope that others feel the same way. To me, a delicious looking man, is just that; and color, race, creed, has nothing to do with it. Yummy is yummy! Sometimes identifying with the character is not all that matters, its the aspect of being taken outside of your comfort zone to experience someone else's cultural background;and their life as they see it.

When Rachel McCarthy finds herself alone on her birthday, it seems like a brilliant idea to ditch her cheating husband and go in search of a glamorous former lover working in the jungle. But her plane is shot down, bullets are flying, and—barring a miracle—it looks like she may not survive her quest to find true love.

Pamela Beason's writing has been featured as Recommended Reading by Suspense Magazine.

ELISA’S IN TROUBLE…Elisa Langston is the obvious choice to take over the Langston Green plant nursery after her father's sudden death. Her beautiful blond stepsister Charlie and stepmother Gail manage the family’s flower shops, while Elisa feels more at home driving a backhoe.

But after Elisa takes charge, Langston Green is hit by a wave of disasters: vandalism, arson, an earthquake. Money is stolen and the main building is burned to the ground. As the business hurtles towards failure, Elisa feels more desperate with each passing day. Can things get any worse?

AND JAKE'S OUT TO NAIL HER…Jake Street remembers fiery Elisa from high school, where he secretly lusted after her. He’s glad she doesn't recall the little geek he was then. Now he's a muscular ex-detective turned insurance investigator, determined to do a good job on this last case before he enters the FBI. Repeated damage claims from Langston Green point toward insurance fraud and the evidence is quickly stacking up against Elisa.

Elisa's exotic Latina charms may still be alluring, but if she's a criminal, she certainly won’t get any special treatment; Jake will make sure she ends up in handcuffs.

Find out Elisa’s fate in this contemporary romantic suspense by Pamela Beason, winner of the Daphne du Maurier Award for excellence in Mystery/Suspense.

Hi, Pamela Beason here. I'm the author of multiple books and a private investigator, and while I'm pretty brave outdoors as a hiker, snowshoer, kayaker, and scuba diver, at heart I am the classic introverted writer. So, rather than answer a bunch of questions about me, I'm going to remain incognito and interview the main characters from my romances, CALL OF THE JAGUAR and SHAKEN.

First up is Rachel McCarthy, from CALL OF THE JAGUAR, my romantic adventure novella.

Author - Hi, Rachel. I heard you had a little mid-life crisis?

Rachel McCarthy – Little? Jeez, I almost died. Several times.

Author - Well, you did fly into a war zone in the Guatemalan jungle. Intentionally, I understand.

Rachel McCarthy – Haven’t you ever made a reckless decision on a whim? I didn't know the situation was that bad, really. I worked down there decades ago in the Peace Corps; someone's always fighting in that area.

Author – Why would any sane woman leave the cushy life you had to run off to the jungle?

Rachel McCarthy – I had a lot of material comforts, that's true. But when I stopped and looked at it, my life was pretty meaningless. And my ratfink husband had been cheating on me for years.

Author – So you went looking for the other man; your former lover that you didn't marry.

Rachel McCarthy – Patrick Kerby. A renowned archaeologist.

Author – How did that work out?

Rachel McCarthy – Except for the plane crashes, imprisonment, more ratfinks, and bullets flying everywhere, I'd say it worked out great—I ended up with the love of my life.

Rachel McCarthy – I'm not spilling all my secrets here. My midlife crisis is an open book, but you'll have to read it to find out: CALL OF THE JAGUAR, by Pamela Beason. Right now, I've got to hop a plane back to Africa.

Author – Elisa, you manage Langston Green, a big plant nursery. That seems an unusual profession for a little gal like you.

Elisa Langston – Why does everyone think that small means delicate? I'm half Mayan; have you ever heard of the Mayan empire?

Author – Sorry; I didn't mean to insult you; you may have noticed that I'm rather petite myself.

Elisa Langston – Yes, I see that. I'm kind of sensitive, I guess, because my father was tall and fair, and so are my stepmother and stepsister. And when my dad left the nursery to me, everyone questioned whether I was capable to run it.

Author – I heard it was touch and go for awhile there.

Elisa Langston – But that wasn't my fault! The Gremlin was out to get me. And then there was a major earthquake, too. How many new business owners have to cope with all that?

Author – The Gremlin? An earthquake?

Elisa Langston – Vandalism. Arson. You name it. I was accused of insurance fraud, too. There was even an exploding toilet!

Author – Wait—I thought this was a romance!

Elisa Langston – Oh, there was plenty of romance during the whole saga. After the earthquake, my stepsister Charlie and stepmom Gail ended up with a couple of hunky firemen, while I ended up with a broken leg and a whole lot of grief. But then I got Jake. I've heard people say that what we have is not exactly normal romance. It’s true that I nearly killed Jake with a backhoe; but that was after he whacked me with a bareroot tree. And you have no idea how sexy mud-wrestling can be.

Author – Mud-wrestling?

Elisa Langston – It's way too complicated to explain here. Just read the book: SHAKEN by Pamela Beason. Say, you know, you look a lot like her.

Author – There's a reason for that, but like you say, it's too complicated to get into here.

Elisa Langston – You are Pamela Beason, aren't you? Hey, Charlie and Gail each want their own sequels; they have stories to tell, too. And my cousin Timo. And Jake's got some great ideas for plots, with all the FBI experience he's getting these days. What do you say? Get out your pen.

Elisa Langston – Good. Remember, I drive a backhoe. And Jake has a gun and handcuffs. And we know where to find you.

(P.S. to readers—You can find more information about me and all my books at http://pamelabeason.com. You can find CALL OF THE JAGUAR and SHAKEN in ebook form wherever ebooks are sold. SHAKEN is also out in print form on Amazon.)

***

Laurie here - I just want to thank Pam, Rachel and Elisa for spendig some time here on my blog. I, for one, am eagerly looking forward to reading both books.

Pamela Beason lives in the Pacific Northwest, where she writes novels and screenplays and works as a private investigator. When she's not on the job, she explores the natural world on foot, in cross-country skis, in her kayak, or underwater scuba diving.

Beason is the author of four full-length fiction works; The Only Witness, Shaken, Call of the Jaguar, and Endangered, as well as the non-fiction title, SAVE Your Money, Your Sanity, and Our Planet.

Pamela's writing tackles difficult themes while maintaining a satisfying and enjoyable story, and has earned her multiple prizes, including the Daphne du Maurier Award.

As an avid outdoorswoman and animal lover, Beason challenges the human assumption that we are the superior species. Engaging and touching, each of Beason's titles takes readers on an adventure while reminding us that drifting through life is not enough; you have to live it.

Pamela blogs and tweets about writing, outdoor adventures, and the value of being present in the moment. She looks forward to connecting with readers on her Twitter, Goodreads Page or Blog.

Sunday, January 29, 2012

The world of Eldwitch was a hauntingly, beautiful world, filled with numerous races, and watched over by the Mother (Nature). When threatened with destruction by the impact of a rogue asteroid, the rulers, a race of flying magic users, were quick to come up with a solution. They would allow for the trajectory of the asteroid and weaken the fault lines that radiated out from the impact zone. This would splinter the world, and yet save their people. Each planet connected to the other, by a World-Gate. This allowed them to continue with communication and trade.

For thousands of years the worlds continued in harmony. Slowly, one of the planets began to veer away from the teachings and learning’s of the Mother. Going their own way and beginning to refuse interaction with the other worlds, they begin to breed only within their own world. Their greed and lack of respect for nature led them to create severe damage to the planets resources. The inbreeding caused mutations among them, with the most serious resulting in berserking. The planet itself was in danger of destruction, due to the abuse of the ecosystem.

The Mother wasn’t done yet. She had a plan to set in motion. Three magic users, born with the blood of all three planets, were necessary to create the solution necessary to reverse the damages. The Legacy of the magic needed, rested in the abilities of one young girl. Could she find the others to help her in her journey? This is Sierra’s Legacy and the story of that journey.

Dayol ran into Ayla’s room to wake her. She was always the first one out of bed because she was still a slave. He did not really understand because he did not think he was a slave, and she was his sister. However, his father was adamant; she would be the one to cook and clean for them, which was her job. Dayol did not care what his dad thought, she was his Ayla and she was the only mother he had ever known. She was only a few years older, but she was so much wiser, she understood the Allure in a way he still did not.
When he didn’t find her in the bedroom, he quietly searched the house. He did not want his father to know he couldn’t find her; his anger would throw him into one of his rages. He was famous for going berserk on numerous occasions, killing those within range. Dayol did not want to be the cause of that anger, nor did he want Ayla to take brunt.
He was afraid she might have run away. She told him several times she was afraid. She often sat at his bedside and told him stories, those she had heard from her caregiver before she died. Dayol wondered if his own mother would have told him such fun stories, or if she would have held him when he was afraid like Ayla
did. He looked in her room again, and realized her pack was gone, he hadn’t really believed she would leave him.
His heart started hammering and pain began in his head, he knew from the past this could create the berserking. He was sad though, somehow the sadness cut the anger, and he began crying. He knew he could not let his father see his tears, so he exited the house and headed to the garden Ayla had been trying to grow. This was their special place, and he knew he would have the small bench to himself. He needed time to gather himself; he was old enough to be on his own. He was hurt that Ayla had really gone; he knew she felt she had to leave and he thought he understood, but his awareness didn’t make the pain any less.
As he took some deep shuddering breaths, his tears fell to the ground. His eyes were still blurry from crying as he turned away from the dryness of one of the small plants Ayla had been working with. The plant was a small spindly bit of green, wilted and off-colored. If he had continued looking, he would have seen that as his tears splashed on the ground next to the tiny fledgling, a brightness spread, a small ripple of light and with that ripple, a tiny healthy shoot of green shot up from the fragile diseased beginning, stretching to reach the sun. However, this new growth quickly shriveled back into the root of the plant as the sun dried the tear on the ground and the bitterness of the soil came back and sucked the life the life away.
Even if he had seen this he would not have known what was happening, but hidden somewhere inside himself, there was a secret, known only to the Mother.
As he turned back again to contemplate and stifle his tears, he saw the same small plant discolored and forlorn, dying even as the tiny bud sank its small root into the savage and bleached land, drawing the chemical laden nutrient through the small leaves that struggled to grow. As Dayol watched, the small plant turned black and shriveled up. Little did he know but that small spurt of growth had taken its last nourishment and when the sustenance was gone, so was the plant. He felt a little like that plant, he felt as though he too might shrivel up without Ayla

I have been writing for about 12 years and always stopped short of finishing my work. I could never seem to write an ending. I love reading as well and decided to blog reviews for authors. I became amazingly busy, more than I could have imagined. While meeting new people I had a chance to be introduced to Nanowritemo, and took the opportunity that was afforded. By writing and not over-thinking, I was able to easily find a way to write a book beginning to ending. I have just moved forward since. It has been enlightening and exciting, but also exhausting. The self-promotion piece for me is difficult as I am basically a quiet introverted person, which is why I am attracted to books and writing. But I have never been so alive as well.

Who is your favorite author?

Marion Zimmer Bradley and Nora Roberts, both a bit involved in Fantasy and a genre that seems to call to me.

What was your first sale as an author?

Splintered: Sierra’s Legacy, a YA Fantasy.

Do you have a critique group or beta readers?

I have numerous friends and family members who get together and bash up my work a bit, so that I can go back in and compose something with other view points and insights. I enjoy hearing peoples thoughts on what works and what doesn’t.

Are you a pantser or plotter?

I am definitely a pantser. I sit down to write without much of a plot or plan. The work just seems to flow, and I have often found myself in unfamiliar territory. I than have to research to move forward further. The words seem to just flow and the story goes in directions I could not imagine. I currently am working on editing my newest work, and I was in awe of how it came together. I had no idea other than a minor thought, and the story became dark and twisted, totally unlike my first work which was light and hopeful. I was actually just a bit repulsed, but I am getting used to it as I make the edits. It was just a surprise.

As a child what did you want to be when you grew up?

I always wanted to be a writer. I have always been able to lose myself in stories and I always wanted to help others who too were looking for new worlds to live in and explore.

Do you have any suggestions for beginning writers?

Don’t wait. If you want to write, just do it. Many people talk about wanting to write, and then never do. You will always be haunted by what ifs and could I haves. There is nothing better than putting together a story that can make some people happy. Just keep in mind that writing is subjective and not everyone will like your work. I have great reviews and so-so reviews, the beauty of the work is within yourself and those who think like you do. Never doubt that there are others that think much as you do and will enjoy your work. Even if you decide to not take the step to publish, writing is an accomplishment, and even unpublished you are an author. Take a chance on yourself.

How do you react to a bad review or rejection?

I try to remember that regardless of what someone thinks of my work either good or bad, it is just an opinion, and everyone has them. I will admit I am not always tough skinned, but I try to take the criticism and learn from it. I want to get better and every opinion helps me to grow. Be prepared when you put yourself out there, know that not everyone loves your characters or story the way you do, and remember it is not personal. It is about work, so get over it and move forward. Use the reviews as a learning tool.

What is your favorite restaurant?

My favorite restaurant is benihanas, I love the ambience, and I really enjoy sitting with many other and enjoying laughs and fun experiences. It is not just about the food but also the personality of the chef and the interaction of the other customers.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Leslie is an eclectic reader and expexts to write in the same fasion. She says stories come in all fashions and often write themselves.

L.A. Wright lives in the great Northwest with her husband.Besides burning a candle at both ends and keeping up with her interesting family, she does a fine job of showing a composed facade to those who do not know her. Reading and writing are her main passions in life, outside of her family.

Saturday, January 28, 2012

Buffy meets Blade without the butch in this action-packed paranormal romance.
Vampires, demons, a rebellious werecat, and impossible male chauvinist colleagues are just a few problems Seattle P.D.'s spunky rookie cop, and Slayer Maiden, Samantha Kensington, has to deal with.

Not much of a social butterfly, her only friends are Chi, a mysterious Chinese monk and her live-in mentor, and her obese pet cat, Sammie.

As Slayer Maiden, Samantha is an indestructible warrior. She possesses an arsenal of equally indestructible weapons such as her morphable, and inexhaustible, crystal shards and...the Slayer's sword, the Emerald Empress.

Just three months shy of her twenty-fourth birthday, the age when all Slayers perish, Samantha knows she's running out of time. Things take a turn for the worse when she's teamed up with enigmatic Detective Julien Chateau, and can’t get him out of her mind or dreams!

Now, not only does she have to battle mobster Gabrianni's growing army of vampires, but she has to guard her sensitive heart when she feels powerfully drawn to her new partner.
For the legendary Slayer Maiden is invincible unless her slayer's heart, the source of all her power, is compromised.

GIVEAWAY
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With a gasp, Samantha shot up in her bed sweating like a pig. Her chest was pumping hard, and she felt as if she’d just run the marathon—the way she felt before she became Slayer. She was out of breath and briefly disorientated, fighting to catch her breath.

This was the most intense dream she had of him yet.

Her pupils immediately dilated and adapted to the dark. She shot wild-eyed gazes around her room, but she saw nothing out of the ordinary. She quickly looked down her front to see her pajama shirt was buttoned up and still pretty much in place. Then she tossed aside her fluffy covers, and relief swept through her when she saw she was still wearing her pajama pants, too.

“Thank the heavens,” she said, pulling up legs in an arch and bending forward with face in hands. She let her hands slowly run down her shimmering complexion, slowly calming her heart, but as she did, another sensation began to fill her . . . one that was much less exhilarating.

Worry.

Samantha snapped up her head, and then she looked at her bare palms with a look of dread. She conjured the powers inside her, feeling she needed to exert some effort in order to feel the slow warmth come aglow.

This wasn’t good, either.

Finally, her eyes began to glow. She watched the neon green lights appear in the centers of her open palms, and her lips tightened when she realized it took longer for her weapons to materialize. With an impatient snap of her wrists, her eyes exploded with bright green light. In a flash, neon-green Slayer Shards appeared in the palms of her hands. It troubled her immensely that it took this long.

This was definitely not good. It was friggin dangerous!

She snapped her fingers closed into loose fists, making the deadly shards vanish in a flash. Then she let herself drop back into her pillows with an agitated sigh. A profoundly discontented look appeared on her face as she glared up at the ceiling.

“Dang it, Samantha,” she reprimanded herself. “You need to get a hold of yourself or you’re gonna ruin everything!”

She damn well knew her fantasies weren’t merely innocent thoughts of guilty pleasures she could enjoy, then tuck away. No. Those fantasies and dreams were detrimental to her very existence, and that of millions of innocent people.

She had to guard her heart, her slayer’s heart, with everything inside her because it was both the source of the Slayer’s power, and paradoxically, her only weakness. It was up to her to protect it, herself, and the slayer legacy until another was ready to step in and take over where she would leave off.

She really needed to work harder at shielding herself. She couldn’t afford to lose focus now. Not this late in the game. She really needed to get busy and stop thinking about golden hair, chiseled faces, and the bluest eyes this side of Slayer Hell, or she’d end up like another Slayer of the past . . . and ring in another era of darkness and destruction.

“Well!” she let out with big eyes and a gush of breath. “With those positively wonderful thoughts to lull me to sleep, maybe I can get in a couple of hours more shuteye before Chi starts bangin’ on my door.”

Then she lay there, on her back. Moments later, she found herself still staring up at the ceiling. More time passed, and she was still wide awake, staring at the ceiling, only now the corners of her lips drooped in discontent. Maybe another position would help her find sleep.

A half hour later, after tossing and turning and yet unable to escape those mesmerizing blue eyes, she finally dropped onto her back with a loud sigh of exasperation.

“This ain’t gonna work,” she mumbled in disappointment.

Then she blinked a few moments as an idea hit her. In the next, she shot up to sit on her bed. She stared at the foot end for a few moments before she threw her arms forward. When she pulled back, her hands were no longer empty. Between them a huge tabby was hanging, barely awake and blinking big, dilated eyes as he looked into hers as if in shock.

For a few moments, they stared into each another’s eyes in utter silence. Then the unfortunate feline was whisked under the covers and cuddled close to his mistress as she dropped onto her side, and soon thereafter, all was silent again in Samantha Davis’ bedroom.

She finally found peace in her sleep, hugging a large tabby close as he lay there with eyes round as saucers . . . until the break of dawn.

I really love Samantha Kensington, the Slayer Maiden. She’s a fun character to write because she’s so spunky and she doesn’t let a lot get to her although she takes her calling very seriously. Writing her fighting/action scenes were challenging but incredibly fun because she cracks jokes (usually because she’s a little nervous). It takes me four to five tries to get the scene written just so in order for me to see it unfold in my mind’s eye. Challenging but fun.

Tell us about your current release.

The first two of the four books in the Equilibrium series are already published. Equilibrium: Slayer’s Heart and Equilibrium II: Rebirth. Slayer’s Heart allows you to get to know Sam Kensington, her close friends, and the trials and tribulations she suffers internally being the Slayer because she’s constantly fighting to protect her heart; the source of all her power. If she falls in love, she’s weakened and it’s the only time when her enemies can actually destroy her.

In EQII: Rebirth, her evolution is showcased as she grows in her very important role as the “new and improved” Slayer Maiden with a new destiny ahead of her, but her heart is still in conflict.

Tell us about your next release.

There are actually several. I plan to release another paranormal romance (PNR) urban fantasy story with a different take on the werewolf/cat legend entitled, Cursed and Coveted. Then there’s my new Young Adult paranormal romance/urban fantasy book entitled, The Girl in the Leather Jacket and it’s about a sixteen-year-old vampire girl named Lola Fox who lives in San Marino, California. She’s a butt-kickin’, young femme fatale of a vampire with a human heart and human DNA, and she comes into her own on her sweet sixteenth. The first book of what will be a four book series will be released 01-31-2012.

Who is your favorite author?

I have two. Kathleen E. Woodiwiss and Stephen King. Woodiwiss because her book, The Flame and the Flower, had introduced me to romance novels, and Stephen King because he can write using very few words to paint the picture he’s trying to convey to his readers. Both are incredible authors in their own genre.

Where do you research for your books?

Online. I used to have books, encyclopedias, and thesauruses stacked beside my desk to look up information, but thank god for the Internet! It makes researching so much easier! Especially while writing Cursed and Coveted, my heroine, Jaydee Jamison, is a Professor of History, specifically of Middle Egypt (ancient Egypt). I wanted to get the back story as close to accuracy as I possibly could for those few Egyptologists who just might be bothered by inaccurate information.

Plotter or Pantser? Why?

Pantser! Definitely Pantser. I only become a Plotter toward the end of a story when I have to tie all the loose ends together to bring the story to a satisfying end. I always want to end my stories with a BANG. The reason why I’m a Pantser is, I have to enjoy my story as much as I want my readers to and if I have to plot a storyline before I can write it, I lose interest and it’s shelved.

Do you use a pen name? If so, how did you come up with it?

Yes, as the vast majority of authors do, I use a pen name. Catharina Shields is my pen name. Catharina is my middle name and Shields is my late mother’s maiden name.

How do you react to a bad review of your book?

Obviously, it hurts. Deeply. But once you’re over that point, you can appreciate the bad review and see it as a challenge to do better next time. Since I write for free online story sites, I’ve learned a great deal from some negative feedback. Some have been pretty scathing, too. But over the course of three and a half years, I’ve developed a thicker skin and a bad review of a story or book only challenges me to do better next time. Luckily, bad reviews are few and far between.

Are the names of the characters in your novels important? How and why?

Choosing first, last, and sometimes even middle names for my characters make them real to me. And if they’re real to me I can feel comfortable and confident enough they’ll feel real to the reader, too.

Tell us about your favorite restaurant.

Mexican restaurant Acapulco! Hands down. They serve fried ice cream – my favorite dessert. When I lived out of the country many moons ago, I read in one romance novel how the characters had fried ice cream in some Tex-Mex restaurant. I was always curious how ice cream could be fried, and when we first had dinner at Acapulco and I saw they served fried ice cream, I had to order it. It was love at first bite, and it’s become my favorite dessert of all time.

If I came to visit early in the morning would you impress me as being more like a chirpy bird or a grumpy bear?

Hah! You’d have to come really early in the morning since I write till the wee hours of the night—which is early in the morning. But if you came by, say, around five or six in the morning, you’d pretty much find a chirpy bird. If you came by, say, around eleven a.m., think grumpy growling bear! That’s when I need to have my two hour nap.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

I was born May 1962 in theYear of the Tiger, Burbank, CA. I've lived both here as well as abroad, specifically The Netherlands. I am bilingual in the sense that I read, write, and speak both English and Dutch.

I don't have any formal education in the sense that I've never finished high school or went to college. I do, however, have passion, and I am creative. I design all my own book covers, and I actually enjoy doing it.

I LOVE storytelling, watching movies, reading a good book, and writing, and I hope you'll see that in all of my stories.

Equilibrium: Slayer's Heart, is the first in the four-book Equilibrium series. I guess I loved Samantha so much, I couldn't stop writing about her. Just an FYI, all my books will be available in both e-book and paperback editions. Slayer's Heart's paperback is on its way, so please keep your eyes peeled!

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